Senior Professional Quantity Surveyor (PrQS, Contracts Administration, MPP/EPC Projects) – Bryanston/Zimbabwe at MECS (Pty) Ltd

• We are seeking an experienced Senior Professional Quantity Surveyor to provide commercial, contractual and cost-management leadership across major project activities, leading and managing the Quantity Surveying team.
• The incumbent will be responsible for protecting the organisation’s commercial interests, maintaining effective project cost control, and ensuring that contracts, valuations, variations, claims and forecasts are managed accurately and in accordance with contractual and governance requirements.
• The role requires close collaboration with the Contracts Manager, Project Controls Manager, engineering, procurement, construction, finance and site-based project teams. Travel to the project site in Zimbabwe may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or BTech in Quantity Surveying.
• Professional registration as a Professional Quantity Surveyor (PrQS) with the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), or an internationally recognised equivalent.
• Membership of a recognised professional body will be advantageous.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years’ relevant quantity-surveying and commercial-management experience.
• At least five years’ experience in a senior quantity-surveying or commercial role.
• Demonstrated experience on major mining, minerals-processing, infrastructure, industrial, EPCM or multidisciplinary construction projects.
• Strong experience in contract administration, cost control, valuations, variations and claims.
• Proven experience reviewing contractor payment applications and closing out final accounts.
• Experience with FIDIC (essential), NEC, JBCC or bespoke EPC/EPCM contracts.
• Experience working within an integrated project-controls environment.
• African or cross-border project experience will be advantageous.
• Experience working on projects in Zimbabwe will be beneficial.

Commercial and Cost Management

• Develop and maintain project cost plans, budgets and cost-control systems.
• Prepare detailed estimates, bills of quantities and tender documentation.
• Monitor committed, forecast and actual expenditure against approved budgets.
• Identify cost trends, risks, overruns and potential savings.
• Project/Package cost reporting.
• Prepare cost forecasts, cash-flow projections and cost-to-complete assessments.
• Measure and value completed construction and engineering works.
• Review contractor payment applications and prepare payment recommendations.
• Verify quantities, rates, supporting documentation and contractual entitlement.
• Reconcile project quantities and prepare final accounts. 

Contract Administration

• Administer construction, engineering, procurement and professional-services contracts.
• Ensure compliance with contractual conditions, commercial procedures and delegated authorities.
• Review contracts, purchase orders, scopes of work and commercial terms.
• Maintain contract, variation, claims, payment and correspondence registers.
• Prepare contractual notices, commercial correspondence and recommendations.
• Identify contractual exposures and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
• Assist with contract close-out, final account settlement and the release of contractual securities.

Variations and Claims Management

• Assess variation orders, compensation events, extension-of-time submissions and claims.
• Establish contractual entitlement and validate the cost and schedule impact of proposed changes.
• Prepare independent estimates and commercial evaluations.
• Lead or support negotiations with contractors, consultants and suppliers.
• Maintain a complete audit trail for variations, claims and commercial decisions.
• Ensure approved changes are incorporated into project budgets, forecasts and schedules.

Tendering and Procurement Support

• Assist with developing project contracting and procurement strategies.
• Prepare pricing schedules, bills of quantities and commercial tender documentation.
• Conduct commercial tender evaluations and prepare recommendation reports.
• Participate in tender clarification meetings and commercial negotiations.
• Perform rate analyses, benchmarking and value-for-money assessments.
• Ensure recommended contract awards are commercially sound and aligned with approved budgets.

Project Controls and Reporting

• Work closely with the Project Controls Manager to align contract values, commitments, forecasts and actual expenditure.
• Contribute to monthly cost reports, forecasts and management dashboards.
• Provide accurate commercial information for executive reporting and decision-making.
• Monitor contractor progress against certified quantities and approved schedules.
• Support earned-value, productivity and contractor-performance analyses.
• Escalate commercial risks, potential claims and forecast deviations promptly.

Governance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with governance requirements, commercial procedures and approval frameworks.
• Maintain accurate and complete commercial records for internal and external audits.
• Identify, assess and manage commercial and contractual risks.
• Ensure commercial recommendations are supported by appropriate evidence and a clear audit trail.
• Promote ethical procurement, fair contracting and responsible cost management.

Technical Skills

• Advanced knowledge of quantity surveying, cost management and commercial principles.
• Strong understanding of mining projects and multidisciplinary construction scopes.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, schedules and contractual documents.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Working knowledge of cost-management, ERP and project-controls systems.
• Strong numerical, analytical and commercial-evaluation capabilities.
• Excellent contract-correspondence, report-writing and negotiation skills.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong commercial awareness and professional integrity.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
• Sound analytical, problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Confident negotiator with strong professional judgement.
• Ability to challenge commercial submissions constructively.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and perform effectively under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder-management and interpersonal skills.
• Proactive, accountable and solutions-orientated.
• Able to work independently and within a multidisciplinary project team.
• Willingness to travel to site for extended periods as required.

Position details:

• Location: Bryanston, Johannesburg
• Remuneration: R150,000 CTC per month
• Employment type: Fixed-term contract (one year – option for renew)
• Reporting to: Contracts Manager and Project Controls Manager
• Travel: Occasional travel to the project site in Zimbabwe may be required.